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Oh, I’m running late this morning – it is very much Monday here today. And that’s just about all I have to say about that.

However, the recipe I have for you today is really very good. I stole the idea from the chocolate episode of “Brunch with Bobby Flay” where every dish he made had chocolate in it in one form or another. Since most people associate molé with chocolate, he made a molé sauce and used it as a base for baked eggs, then topped some sort of poblano rice mixture with it.

This is my go-to recipe for molé; it has no chocolate in it – there are several different kinds of molé and most of them don’t – nor is it spicy. It is rich with a robust and complex flavor; we just love it. It’s the basis for this dish, and while it’s not hard to make, it is kind of time-consuming, but don’t let that deter you.

The molé is Whole30 compliant, so instead of a regular rice dish I decided to serve this over a grated cauliflower “faux” rice, which I spiked with lime juice and cilantro. Light and bright, it was the perfect compliment to the richness of the eggs and molé. Some diced tomato and red onion, along with some freshly-made guacamole, made this a superb and memorable Sunday brunch.

Heat a large, heavy, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat and lightly toast the chilies, turning them from time to time so they do not burn. While they are still pliable, slit them open and remove the stem, seeds and veins.

Cover them with hot water and let them soak for about 15 to 20 minutes.

In the same skillet, toast the clove of garlic until golden brown, taking care not to burn it. Halve it, removing any green that may be in the center. Set aside.

Add 1 tablespoons of the lard to the skillet and fry the almonds until they are well browned, stirring frequently so they do not burn. Crush them slightly and set aside. Skin the plantain, slice it lengthwise and fry it until golden on both sides.

Place the plantains, almonds and broiled tomatoes into a blender or food processor and blend to a smooth puree; add a little water if necessary. Scrape the puree into a small bowl and set aside.

Without washing the mixer or food processor, blend the chilies with 1/2 cup of the water used to soak them, the spices and garlic to a smooth puree. Heat the other tablespoon of lard in the skillet and cook the chili puree on high heat about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the tomato/plantain mixture and then return to the heat, cooking for about 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring all the time so it does not stick (be careful, it can spatter about some).

Stir the cup of the beef broth gradually into the sauce and continue cooking it for a minute or so, then strain through a coarse seive. Return the sauce to the skille over low heat and cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and salting to taste.

While the mole is finishing, heat the tablespoon of lard in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook the onion until soft and nearly translucent, about 5 or 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute more.

Stir in the grated cauliflower and water; cover and cook until the cauliflower is still firm, but no longer raw, 4 or 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper; cover and keep warm.

Crack the eggs into the mole and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still soft. Divide the cauliflower between 6 plates; top each with an egg and mole sauce. Serve with diced tomato, red onion and guacamole, if desired.

man do i love mole. my wife is a great cook but man i’d love to spend a month at your kitchen table. you’ll have an open seat soon right? btw, i hope we see you two again soon but don’t tell my wife about this ;).